What a lovely Easter weekend it was! Beautiful spring weather, wonderful gatherings of family and friends, our Vipers winning the Doyle Cup a record three times in a row, (how can it get better than that — way to go, boys!) and more food than most of us could eat for a week.
Now the question is, what do we do with the leftovers? Well, for starters, don’t despair or throw any out. Enjoy ham and/or turkey sandwiches, then dig out or find your favourite casserole recipes: everything from the ultimate in mac and cheese, to pasta and/or rice with ham recipes are out there. Or, put together a very nice quiche or a homemade soup. All these dishes can be frozen for use on some later date when you’re craving it again or haven’t the time to make a good meal. Today I offer a very nice split pea soup recipe and a cheesy, potato and ham casserole that will use up a lot of leftover meat. Enjoy.
Split Pea with Ham Soup
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. (about 3 cups) ham, diced
7-8 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
1 pound bag of dried split peas, rinsed
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 carrots, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
Heat oil in Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium low heat. Add the diced onion and cook until slightly tender. Add the garlic and ham and cook for 60 seconds. Add the stock, split peas, and bay leaf to the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium low heat for about 2 hours.
Add the carrots, celery, and potato, then cook 30-45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Adjust salt and pepper.
If you want the soup to be a bit thicker, mix with an immersion blender for a few seconds. Enjoy.
Potatoes Au Gratin and Ham
2 cups cooked ham, cubed
3 lbs. baking potatoes, peeled and sliced thin, (approximately 9 medium spuds)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2-1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup butter
5 tbsp. flour
12 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease baking dish.
Layer 1/3 sliced potatoes, 1/3 cubed ham, 1/3 onions in pan. Repeat layers, ending with sliced potatoes on top.
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm milk (do not boil).
In a separate sauce pan, melt butter and slowly stir in flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add warmed milk to the butter and flour mixture and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes while continuing to stir until thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in shredded cheese, mustard, paprika, salt and black pepper. (Return to low heat if cheese does not melt.) Then, pour cheese sauce over layered potatoes.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft and top layer is golden brown. (I find it takes longer than an hour.) Good served with a tossed salad.
